Dr. Whitman recently assisted a patient who had two chipped front teeth. The patient’s primary complaint was the flatter appearance of these two front teeth due to the chips in relation to the other teeth.
The patient shared he had a history of nail biting in the past and had chipped the edges of those teeth. The contour of the teeth, as well as the discoloration from the chips, bothered him, especially since the damage was so visible. He wanted to fix the teeth but was concerned that it wouldn’t look natural.
After discussing various treatment options, Dr. Whitman and the patient decided to move forward with dental bonding for those two teeth. Dental bonding is a procedure that uses a tooth-colored composite resin to build out the teeth and restore their shape as well as protect the tooth enamel.
To prepare, Dr. Whitman performed a deep cleaning on the patient’s teeth to remove surface stains and reveal the true color of his teeth. She then performed a shade match with the composite resin to ensure a seamless, natural appearance would result.
Dental bonding is a minimally-invasive procedure that doesn’t require removal of healthy tooth structure, so no anesthesia was required for Dr. Whitman to bond the teeth, hide the chips, and smooth out the rough edges to leave the teeth with a perfectly natural appearance.
The patient was extremely pleased with the outcome after the procedure—he even sent Dr. Whitman an email about how the results made him feel like a new person!